Obituaries
Ted Blaszak Kingston, Idaho
Service for Ted Blaszak, 82, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Kellogg Funeral Chapel. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery in Kellogg. Shoshone Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Blaszak, a diesel mechanic, died Saturday at Shoshone Medical Center in Kellogg.
He was born in 1913 in Youngstown, Ohio, and moved to Kingston in 1949 from Pennsylvania.
Mr. Blaszak married Evelyn “Peggy” Long in 1964 in Coeur d’Alene.
He was a member of the Kellogg Elks Lodge.
Survivors include his wife at home; one stepdaughter, Maralyn Brown of Carson City, Nev.; two brothers, Charles Blaszak of Tacoma and Frank Blaszak of New Castle, Pa.; two sisters, Wanda and Bessie, both of Pennsylvania; and six grandchildren.
Tami Holmquist Cheney
Service for Tami Lee Holmquist, 18, will be at 12:30 p.m. today at Spokane Valley United Methodist Church. Private burial will follow at Forest Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene.
Miss Holmquist, who died Sunday, was born in Spokane.
She graduated from University High School and was a student at Eastern Washington University.
She had been a contestant in the 1994 Washington Miss Teen Pageant, and was a member of Alpha Phi and the Dance Force at EWU. She worked as a waitress at Frontier West in the Spokane Valley.
She is survived by her parents, Ron and Barbara Holmquist of Liberty Lake; one sister, Heidi Holmquist; her grandparents, Ron and Ardelle Holmquist and Harold and Margaret Knight; and her great-grandmothers, Lee Holmquist and Violet Jones.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Gilbert Ambacher Valley, Wash.
Vigil service for Gilbert G. Ambacher, 80, will be at 5 p.m today at Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Chewelah, Wash. Service is set for 2 p.m. Thursday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Valley. Burial will be at St. Joseph’s Cemetery.
Mr. Ambacher died Sunday.
He was born in Othello, Wash.
He had been a bartender for American Legion Post No. 54 and the Sportsman Tavern, both in Chewelah. He also was a butcher at Kulzer’s Store in Valley, worked at the Valley Sawmill, at Zibell’s Cabinet Shop in Chewelah, and at Colmac in Colville, Wash., and was a farmer. He had lived in Valley about 50 years.
Mr. Ambacher served in the Navy during World War II and was a member of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Valley and the American Legion Post No. 54.
He is survived by his wife, Irena Ambacher; three sons, Wayne Ambacher of Seward, Alaska, Norm Ambacher of Chewelah and Tim Ambacher of Valley; one daughter, Becky Stark of Spokane; two sisters, Ada Mandley of Poulsbo, Wash., and Alma Munson of Federal Way, Wash.; two granddaughters, five grandsons and two stepgrandsons.
Mary Deiss Spokane
Service for Mary Lou Deiss, 60, is set for 2 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Private burial is planned.
Mrs. Deiss died Saturday.
She was born in St. Paul, Minn.
A homemaker, she had lived in Spokane for the past 28 years.
She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Joseph Deiss; four sons, Bradford Deiss of Tenino, Wash., Anthony Deiss of Spokane, Barton Deiss of Elk and Clayton Deiss of Mead; two sisters, Pauline Kelly of Cambrian Park, Calif., and Diane Baker of Mount Vernon, Wash.; one brother, Richard Weber of Wichita Falls, Texas; and nine grandsons.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Akira Katayama Spokane
Service for Akira Katayama, 74, is planned for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Spokane Buddhist Church. Inurnment will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Katayama, who was born in Stockton, Calif., died April 4.
He had worked for a railroad in Spokane.
Mr. Katayama is survived by one aunt, Sadako Yamamoto of Spokane.
Margaret Bertholf Everett
Graveside service for Margaret L. Bertholf, 71, is planned for 2 p.m. today at Goldenrod Cemetery in Tekoa, Wash. Bauer Funeral Chapel of Snohomish, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Bertholf, a former Tekoa and Spokane resident, died Sunday.
She was born in Fremont, Neb.
Mrs. Bertholf had lived in Plummer, Idaho, where she attended school.
Her husband, Alva Bertholf, worked for the Union Pacific Railroad in Tekoa and for the Great Northern Railway and Burlington Northern Railroad in Spokane.
They moved to Everett in 1989.
Mr. Bertholf died in 1994.
Mrs. Bertholf is survived by one daughter, Linda Bertholf of Everett; one son, Ron Bertholf of Snohomish, Wash.; four grandchildren; and two sisters, Ramona Baker of Longview, Wash., and Helen Watson of Spokane.
Dora Trudell Colville, Wash.
Service for Dora June Trudell, 79, will be at 2 p.m. today at Danekas Funeral Chapel in Colville. Cremation will follow.
Mrs. Trudell, who died Friday, was born in Covada, Wash.
She worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps in Covada and raised hogs and cattle there with her husband, Maurice Trudell. He died in 1980.
Mrs. Trudell was a member of the Inchelium Ladies Club and the Lakeside Grange.
Survivors include one son, Robert Trudell of Colville.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Elaine Bass Deer Park
Graveside service for Elaine Loretta Bass, 79, will be at 3 p.m. today at Woodland Cemetery in Deer Park. Lauer Funeral Home in Deer Park is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Bass, a homemaker, died Tuesday.
She was born in Minnesota and had lived in Deer Park for more than 45 years.
She was a member of First Church of the Nazarene in Spokane.
Her husband, the Rev. Robert Bass, died in 1986.
She is survived by one son, Clifford Caughron of Burien, Wash.; one daughter, Carol Houglum of Silverton, Ore.; one sister, Ione Urton of Issaquah, Wash.; nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Goldie VanVoorhis Colfax, Wash.
Service for Goldie VanVoorhis, 85, is set for 10 a.m. today at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax. Burial will be at St. John (Wash.) Cemetery.
Mrs. VanVoorhis died April 4.
She was born in Waitsburg, Wash., and graduated from high school there.
She moved to Colfax and was trained as a nurse at St. Ignatius Hospital.
She and her husband, Paul VanVoorhis, farmed in the St. John area for many years.
Her husband died in 1979 and Mrs. VanVoorhis returned to Colfax in 1981.
She is survived by one daughter, Claudia Bafus of Phoenix, Ariz.; one brother, Wiley Miller of the Seattle area; two grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Southeast Washington Home Health and Hospice.
William Conger Spokane
Memorial gathering for William “Bill” M. Conger, 70, will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Masonic Lodge, 1105 W. Riverside. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Conger, who was born in San Antonio, Texas, died Friday.
He graduated from the University of Oregon. He was a business manager in Oregon and Washington for more than 40 years and moved to Spokane 22 years ago. In Spokane he was an associate with Windermere/Manito Real Estate.
He was a member of Rotary International and was the co-chair of the District Student Exchange. He was also a member of the Elks Lodge.
Mr. Conger is survived by his wife of 48 years, Patricia Conger; one daughter, Martha “Marti” Conger of Sacramento, Calif.; one son, William “Bill” Conger of Colbert; his mother Grace Conger of Spokane; one sister, Jane Owens of Newark, Del.; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Bill Conger Memorial Scholarship for Youth Exchange in care of Washington Trust Bank.
Melissa Taylor Seattle
Services for Melissa Victoria Marie Taylor, 6, is set for 1 p.m. Thursday at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Forest Cemetery.
Melissa died Sunday in a pedestrian accident in Spokane.
She was born Dec. 13, 1988, in Spokane and went to the Lowell Elementary School Distar program for advanced children.
Survivors include her parents, Christina Bowers of Spokane and Phuong Taylor of Seattle; her grandparents, Patricia Aubrey, Nam Taylor, and Terry and Barbara Bower, all of Spokane; her great-grandparents, Leroy and Ann Bowers of Spokane; three aunts and eight uncles.
Lela Thompson Spokane
Service for Lela Mae Thompson, 81, is planned for 10 a.m. Thursday at Berean Bible Church. Burial will follow at the Pines Cemetery. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Moscow, Idaho, Mrs. Thompson died Saturday.
She had worked as a cook at Bowdish Junior High School and at Powell Match Factory.
She was a member of Berean Bible Church.
Her husband, Clarence Thompson, died in 1976.
She is survived by one son, Larry Thompson of Spokane; two sisters, Berneice Shaw and Maxine Thiry, and two brothers, Harvey and Dale Shaw, all of Spokane; and two grandsons.
Memorial contributions can be made to Berean Bible Church.
Leslie Ayers Spokane
Service for Leslie T. Ayers, 84, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Sunset Mausoleum Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park with burial to follow. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Taber, Alberta, Mr. Ayers died Friday.
He was a mechanic and had worked for Packard Garage and American Machine Co.
He had lived in Spokane since 1933 and was a World War II Army veteran.
He is survived by his wife, Eunice Ayers; two stepsons, Larry Bockstruck of Bayview, Idaho, and Ron Bockstruck of Port Washington, N.Y.; one sister, Gertrude Tinsley, and one brother, Clifford Ayers, both of Spokane; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association.
Hilda Wildman Spokane
Graveside service for Hilda C. Wildman, 85, is set for 11 a.m. Thursday at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Wildman, who died Saturday, was a lifetime Spokane resident.
She was a homemaker.
She is survived by one sister, Ethel Coleman of Belfair, Wash.
Evelyn Cox Spokane
Service for Evelyn J. Cox, 69, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Riplinger Funeral Home with burial at Riverside Memorial Park.
Born in Sandpoint, Mrs. Cox died Sunday.
A homemaker, she had lived in Spokane more than 63 years.
She is survived by her husband, Richard Cox; one daughter, Sherry Hopkins of Steptoe, Wash.; two granddaughters, two grandsons and two great-grandsons.
Florence Griffin Oakesdale, Wash.
Memorial service for Florence May Griffin, 87, will be at a later date. Kramer Funeral Home of Tekoa, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Griffin, a longtime Oakesdale resident, died Thursday at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
She was born in Estacada, Ore., and moved to Oakesdale with her family when she was 7.
She farmed and raised Hereford cattle with her husband, Guy Griffin, near Oakesdale. Mr. Griffin died in the 1960s.
Mrs. Griffin later moved into Oakesdale to live.
She was a member of the Community Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include one son, Gary Griffin of Oakesdale; one daughter, Gayle Ranger of Yakima; four grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Oakesdale Fire Department Emergency Medical Technicians.
Chris Sperber Coeur d’Alene
Memorial service for Chris Fredrick Sperber, 80, a logging contractor and driver, is set for 2 p.m. Thursday at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. Sperber died Saturday while fishing at Thompson Lake.
He was born in 1914 in Wildeer, N.D.
Mr. Sperber came to the Northwest in 1923 and married Dorothy Woodruff in 1936. They settled in Coeur d’Alene in 1944.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening and telling tall tales.
His wife, Dorothy, preceded him in death.
Survivors include one son, Steve Sperber of Coeur d’Alene; two daughters, Carol Love of Roseburg, Ore., and Gloria Holden of Coeur d’Alene; one sister, Alberta Robinson of Spokane; a twin brother, Jim Sperber of Plummer, Idaho, and a brother, Herb Sperber of St. Helens, Ore.; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Heart Unit, Sacred Heart Medical Center, 101 W. Eighth, Spokane, WA 99204.
Kathleen Cossin Spokane
No service will be held for Kathleen Cossin, 58. There will be private inurnment.
Mrs. Cossin, who died Thursday, was born in Spokane.
She had worked for Community Mental Health Center.
She is survived by her mother and stepmother, Pearl Doud Brown and R.L. Brown, both of Liberty Lake; two daughters, Debbie Gilmore of Kentucky and Brigett Smith of Oklahoma; one brother, William Reilly of Deer Park; three sisters, Darlene Reilly Nevers and Nellie Munson, both of Spokane, and Elizabeth Dill of Newport, Wash.; two grandsons and two granddaughters.
Carlyle Chick Spokane
Memorial service for Carlyle M. Chick, 78, was Monday at All Saints Episcopal Church. There was private inurnment.
Mr. Chick died Thursday.
He was born in Madison, N.H.
He had lived in Spokane for 35 years and was a manager for Korth Lumber Co.
Mr. Chick was a member of El Katif Shrine, the Valley Moonshiners and Hoo Hoo Spokane No. 16.
His wife, Frances, preceded him in death.
Survivors include one son, Roger Chick of Bainbridge, Wash.; two daughters, Rondy Alexander of Spokane and Roberta Cain of Grandview, Wash.; two sisters, two brothers and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children.
Walter Adams Spokane
Memorial service for Walter William Adams, 80, was Monday at Northside Church of Christ.
Mr. Adams, who was born in Verona, N.D., died Thursday.
He worked at Centennial Flour Mills from 1948 to 1973 as a supervisor.
Mr. Adams was a World War II Army veteran.
He is survived by his wife, Pearl Adams; one sister, Dorothy Adams of Fargo, N.D.; two daughters, Rosa Yates of Spokane and Linda Honeywell of Lacey, Wash.; seven grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.
William Harrison Spokane
Funeral Mass for William J. Harrison, 81, was held Saturday in Phoenix, Ariz.
Mr. Harrison, a former longtime Spokane resident, died April 6 in Phoenix.
He was born in Spokane.
He graduated from The Lawrenceville (N.J.) School and Princeton University, in 1936. He served as a naval officer in World War II.
He was a senior vice president and regional manager for The Prudential Insurance Co., for 35 years. He moved to Spokane when he retired in 1973.
Mr. Harrison was a member of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and played in the annual Seniors Northwest Tournament. He was also a member of the Catholic church.
He spent summers at Hayden Lake, Idaho, and winters in Palm Desert, Calif.
His first wife, Patricia Harrison, preceded him in death.
He is survived by his wife, Madge Harrison; three children, Peggy Green, Bill Harrison Jr. and Patricia Crosson; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Immaculate Heart Retreat House.